Rathtub



June 20, 1933. K B, FQRD 1,914,826

BAT'HTUB Filed June 1, 1932 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR June 20, 1933. K BFQRD 1,914,826

BATHTUB Filed June 1, 1932 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR 7 BYI@ ATTORNEYJune 20, 1933.

K. B. FORD BATHTUB Filed June 1, 1952 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR ,Zeisz'elfb/Q5 ATTORNEY l Patented June 20, i933 PATENT OFFICE KELSIE B. FORD,OF EAST ORNGE, NEW JERSEY BATHTUB lApplication led June 1, 1932.

'.lhis inventionrelates to bath tubs, and this application, which is acontinuation in part of my earlier application, Serial No. 569,867,filed Uctober 30, 1931, comprises improvements directed to the provisionof a rim portion which is adapted to be attached to the top of the tubwalls, said rim portion, which may be composed for example of anon-corrosive metal'or alloy, in-

l@ cluding a hand rail that extends at the sides of or around the inneredge of the tub, and the walls of said tub being provided with suitablesupporting means for said rim portion.

l5 Also my invention includes the provision of a skirt or apron, whichdepends from the rail-bearing rim portion, and may be formed integrallytherewith, said skirt or apron extending over one side only of the f5@tub, or extending over a side and end thereof, to enclose the outersurface of a tub fitted between walls in the bat-h room, or located in acorner of the bath room. 0f course, in instances where a 'tub ispositioned ina bath room away from all the walls, then the skirt may befour sided, to enclose both sides and ends of the tub, or, if one sideand both ends of a tub are away from walls, then the skirt will beadapted to cover said side and ends.

Thus, a separable rail-bearing rim for a bath tub, either with or'without the skirt, can be made of a contrasting material to give a newappearing effect, and, with the skirt, can be applied equally welleither to a new or old style tub.

ln the art of bath tub manufacture the iron casting has the enamelvsurfacing applied thereto while the tub is at red heat,

the powdered porcelain being sprayed thereon and melting on impact while'the tub is turning.

Under these conditions it would not be Serial N0. 614,662.

In other words, it is necessary that the tub should present a fullyexposed surface opposed to the spray of powdered porcelain in theenamelling process, and therefore it is desirable that the hand railsconstitute an (A adjunct or separate element, as in the form of myimproved rail carrying rim, with means for -its attachment to the tubtop, after the tub has been enamelled.

Obviously an advantage in economy off0 production'is served by providingthe separable rim with skirt, for thereby the tubs, without skirts, canbe made all alike and used with either right or left hand separableskirts, and equally well said tubs can 5 5 be used with separable skirtsthat cover only the front side of the tub.

ln the instance of the usual form of tubs that have their skirts casttherewith, of course thel separable, rail-bearing rim alone 7 0 is to besecured thereto. But in this instance, as with the separable skirts, theuse of contrasting material or color for these adjuncts, with relationto the enamelled tubs, affords a pleasing and effective stp-.7 5pearance, not heretofore attainable with bath tubs.

Other features and advantages of my invention will hereinafter appear.

8o lin the drawings:

Figure l is a top plan view of a bath tub equipped with my improvedrail-bearing rim.

Fig. 2 is a side sectional view thereof -85 taken on the line 2-2 ofFig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a cross-section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1'.

Fig. 4 is a cross-section 0n the line 4--4 ofv Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a partial, perspective view of a' tub wall and'rim portion,disconnected.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a rail-bearing rim with right handskirt.

Fig. 7 is a similar view showing a left 95 hand skirt.

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of a bath tub adapted to have fittedthereon a rail-bearing rim and skirt.

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of a rail-bearm0 of a tub.

Fic'. 10 is a cross-section of a tub having'v the rail-bearing rim andskirt of Fig. 9 applied thereto.

Fig. 11 is a bearin rim having a recess to receive a faucet, and

Fig. 12 is a cross-section of a bath room showing how stock right handskirts and left hand skirts answer all positioning pui'- poses in thecorners of a bath room.

In Figs. 1 to 5 let 1 indicate a bath tub, and 2 a rim portion therefor.Theside walls of the tub are indicated at 3, the head portion wall at 4,and the foot portion wall at 5.

The tops of the walls 3, 4 and 5 have the flat, horizontal surface,indicated at 6, which flat surface extends over the outward portions ofthe walls 3 and 4, and over the whole of the top of wall 5, but theinward tops of walls 3 and 4 are inclined with the concave curvature 7and continuing convex curvature 8. Also the walls 3 and 4 are providedwith abutments 9, which occur, in suitably spaced relation, upon theconcavoconvex incline 7, 8, and present top flat surfaces 10 in thehorizontal plane of top surrspeotive view of a railformed therein Afaces6.

These horizontal surfaces 6, 10 o the wall tops are adapted to haveimposed thereon the rim portion 2, which consists of a plate 2a which isshaped to the contour of the wall, and has an inward rail 11 spacedtherefrom, along the walls 3, 4, said rail being connected to the plateby webs 12, that are positioned to be imposed upon the surfaces 10 ofabutments'9 when the rim portion is placed upon the wall tops.

Also said rim portion carries bolts 13 that depend from its undersurface and are adapted to extend through bolt holes 14 provided in thewall topsV and through the vabutments 9, said bolts being secured,beneath the wall tops, as by nuts 15, to thereby unite the rim portionto said wall tops. In Fig. 8 I have shown, at 16, a bath tub adapted tohave fitted thereon my improved rail-bearing rim with attached skirt,said tub being in the form of an iron casting' whose inner surface hasbeen enamelled, said tub having a peripheral flange 17 whose uppersurface is flat, and provided with bolt holes 18. Also said flange 17may have its corners, atone side, rounded as at 19.

It is my purpose to place upon the tub the rail-bearing rim and skirt ofeither Fig. 6 or 7, according to whether a right hand or left hand skirtis to be used.

Thus, for example, in Fig. 12 will be seen a right hand skirt in fulllines fitted in certain positions in opposite corners of a bath room.that is indicated in horizontal section, and, in dotted lines a lefthand skirt is shown as fitted in the other positions vin said corners,thereby demonstrating that with two stock skirts usedwith one stock tub,all 'corner positions in a bath room canbe accommodated where the bathtub is to be provided with a side skirt and an end skirt.

The right hand skirt of Fig. 6 is indicated at 20 for its side portionand at 21 for its end portion, these portions being merged over thecurved corner 22, and said portions depending from the rim portion 23,which is provided with the hand rails 24.

It will be noted that the hand rails 24 are waved, to thereby enable abetter hand hold to be had.

The left hand skirt is shown, in Fig. 7, as having the side portion 25,and end portion 26, these portions merging at the curved corner 27, thisskirt having the rim portion 28, provided with hand rails 29.

In Figs. 9 and 10 there appears an example of a rail-bearing rim havinga depending skirt 31 to cover a side of a bath tub, when such tub islocated between two side walls of a bath room, thereby obviating theneed for an end skirt, the rim-being shown as provided with a hand rail32, and as connected by bolts 33-With the flange 34 of bath tub 35.

Fig. 11 shows a similar rail-bearing rim 36, having side skirt 37, therim 36 in this instance being recessed, as at 38, 'for the reception ofa faucet.

It will be apparent that the one stock tub, such as that indicated inFig. 8, may be used with any of the rims and skirts illustrated in Figs.6, 7, 9 and 11.

In some instances it may be desirable to cast the tub, with itsrail-bearing rim an skirt, all in one piece, and in such instance therail could be covered by a removable coating 'or wrapping during theprocess of applying the enamel to the tub and skirt, and then thecoating or wrapping can be removed, and the rail chromium plated orotherwise treated.

Variations within the spirit and scope of my invention are equallycomprehended by the foregoing disclosure.

I claim:

1. A bath tub adapted to be subjected to the usual enamelling process,having its Walls presenting horizont-al top surfaces at their outerportions and having a cavity extending longitudinally of said topsurfaces, said cavity being defined by inclining the inward tops of saidwalls with a concave curvature extending from said horizontal topsurfaces and continuing into a convex curvature leading into the innersurfaces of said walls, abutments interrupting the continuity o'fsaidcavity, the top surfaces of said abutments being arranged in thehorizontal plane of said wall top surfaces, and a sep- Lei-reas araterim portion adapted to be secured Vto the bath tub, after said tub hasbeen enamelled, including a plate shaped tothe contour of said Wall topsand adapted to fit thereon, said rim portion having a series of openingsdefining transverse Webs adapted to lie imposed upon said abutments andpresenting Van inward rail having its top edge in the horizontal planeof the top surfaces of said Walls.

2. The combination with a bath tub having a peripheral flange, of aseparable rim portion overlying said flange, said rim portion having anintegral skirt depending therefrom to Cover the tub Wall.

3. The combination With a bath tub having a peripheral flange, of aseparable rim portion overlying said flange, Said rim portion having,an' integral skirt depending therefrom to cover a side and end Wall ofthe tub.

4. T he combination with a bath tub having a peripheral flangepresenting horizontal top surfaces, of a riin portion attached to saidflange, said rixn portion presenting elongated openings having theirbottoms spaced from said top surfaces to define hand-v holds, and askirt depending from said rim portion to cover the walls of said tub.

KELSIE B. FORD.

